The BlackHawk Saga Seek My Master
by mblackhawk
Summary: "The BlackHawk Saga" continues, as Mike's master, Zoke Miyama, tries to rectify what he feels is his greatest failure: a former student who winds up being one of Mike's greatest enemies.
1. Chapter 1

**Seek My Master  
A Phantasy Star Online Fanfiction  
by  
M_BlackHawk**

"Leave my training hall," Zoke Miyama told the white haired young man standing in front of him, "I do not train murderers here."

"Don't think this is over, Miyama," the man answers as he turns to leave, "I'll be back, and stronger than you'll ever be."

"True strength doesn't come in fighting technique, Dansen," Zoke told the young man as he left, "It comes from inside. You will never have the kind of strength that truly matters. You will just have the ability to kill, not the desire and power to protect."

That said, Shane Dansen left the training hall of Zoke Miyama, as a young blonde-haired man walked up and began talking to his master. He glared back at the younger warrior, and realized what had just happened.

The HUmar had remembered that day, like it happened just on the previous one. The day he was banished from the training hall of "Great Sword" Zoke Miyama, and his sparring partner had assumed the mantle of master of the Soaring Heaven style.

Today, Shane Dansen is with a team of hunters, down in the third level of the ancient ruins, which had been uncovered by a different team. He was carrying his DB Saber, which he had traded off his old katana for. He had strayed from his team, feeling more at ease, alone.

"Come to me," came a strange whisper of a voice, "I will set you free." Shane grabbed his head, not knowing where the voice was coming from, but feeling it in his mind, instead. "Come to me," it repeated, "Let me set free your real power: Your rage."

Shane proceeded further into the ruins, through a really long hallway, and past one monolith, and into a teleporter. He reappeared in a garden, where he saw a huge structure in the center of the garden. He walked up to the structure, and felt his hand moving toward it, as if guided by some unseen power. When his hand touched the monolith, he felt a surge of power enter his body, coursing through his entire being. Shane Dansen then collapsed to the ground, and started to get back up. His eyes held a strange purple glow to them.

Elsewhere, in the manor of Zoke Miyama, the swordmaster sat in quiet meditation. Suddently, images of his former student, filled his mind. He saw images of the monolith in the ruins, and the power that now coursed through the young man's entire being. "I knew this would happen," Zoke thought, then continued his meditation.

"How are you holding up?" asks a HUcast of his FOmar partner, "Needing fluids yet?"

"Oh, I think I can hold up for a while," replies the FOmar, "Wait, is that Shane ahead?"  
It was Dansen. He was holding the saber at the ready. He seemed to disappear from sight, and reappeared behind the force, slicing the man in the back. He then attacked the stronger android, hitting him multiple times in rapid succession. In no time, the android was reduced to spare parts.

Zoke winced as new images entered his mind. This time, he was shown images of the gruesome murder of a team of hunters. The speed of the attacks used could only have been done by a student or master of the Soaring Heaven style. "I now know what I have to do," Zoke Miyama said to himself, walking over to the dias on the wall of his training hall, "I have to finish what I started with Shane Dansen. I can't let him become a devil." He takes the 3 katanas, Kamui, Sange and Yasha, off the dias, setting them at his side.

The black-clad swordmaster had left his manor without saying a word to his RAcaseal companion, Shino. He found a transporter that would take him into the ruins, where he began the arduous task of searching for his former student, Shane Dansen. Little did he know, but he was actually the hunted, and not the hunter.

Watching his former master proceed through the ancient structure, the white haired HUmar smirked, knowing that this place would soon become the swordmaster's tomb. He watched as the legendary katana, Kamui, cut a swathe of carnage through the monsters, knowing that the battles in this structure will wear down his former master, giving him a distinct advantage over his adversary, when the time was right to face each other.

Meanwhile, back on Pioneer 2, Mike, Lara and Amelia BlackHawk walked from their home to the enormous Angelus Manor. Amelia carried with her a long object, wrapped in paper. The three are met at the door by the butler.

"Welcome," Willem tells the BlackHawks, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"It's Amelia's idea," Mike says, "She remembered that Seifer's birthday was coming up and wanted to give him this. I was hoping to use the training room for a while, since we're having some work done on our own training facilities."

"I'm just here to make sure Mike doesn't hurt himself," Lara adds in, "Mike tends to overexert himself while training."

"I think Seifer's in there right now," Diego Angelus informs his friends, walking up to the door, "I'll lead you there."

"Thanks, Diego," Amelia says, smiling. "Heaven forbid Seifer and my brother start sparring," she thinks to herself, "the room may not be able to contain it."

Zoke had gotten tired of wading through the almost endless hoarde of monsters in the ruins. His katana was already caked in monster blood, and he was wearing down. He could feel his reserves of strength fading. The swordmaster popped open a trimate and continued on his journey.

He had followed Zoke all the way through the first level of the ruins, shadowing him the entire trip. He watched the swordmaster growing weaker and weaker as he battled on.

"This will be easier than I thought," the shadow thinks to himself, "he'll be as weak as a child when he gets to the right spot." The Shadow smirked and continued to follow Zoke Miyama.

"Mike, Lara," Seifer Angelus says as the pair of hunters enter the training room, "What's up?" He then notices Amelia standing beside Lara, and gives her a smile before asking, "And how are you, Amelia?"

"Fine," Amelia answers, "I wanted to give you this. I thought it would help you in your training." She hands him the long object, and the young HUmar carefully unwraps it, revealing a katana-like, steel twinsaber. He looked over the blades, noticing how they had been left blunt. "Mike told me that a sword like this would be heavier than your photon sabers, and could enhance your strength. He trains with a similar katana already."

"Really," Seifer thinks, "And is that the sword you have with you, Mike?"

"It is," the blonde haired hunter answers, "I was going to do a bit of training myself. We're having some work done to our own training facilities at home."

"Then why don't we put these swords to the test," Seifer says, grinning, "En garde!"

Zoke had entered a long hallway. The room was empty, except for a human sized shadow standing in the center of the room, holding a saber. He held his katana close as he readied himself for battle.

This was the moment he was waiting for. He would soon have the vengeance he had longed for for over a decade. He gripped the saber tightly, making ready for combat. A smile came to his lips, as he watched his weakened former master, and now opponent ready the katana, Kamui, for battle.

The two HUmars stood not 20 feet away, steel swords gleaming in the light of the training room. the warriors charged at each other, and Seifer tried to get the first strike in, slicing laterally at his opponent. Mike, in turn, leapt high into the air, diving at the white haired youngster. His strike was blocked by one of the twinsaber's two blades and he descends off to the right. The youngest Angelus charges once more swinging the twin in a flurry of blows blocked by the speed of Mike's katana.

The elder hunter dodges around a few more of Seifer's blows, rotating around to hit his younger opponent in the back, force added to the blow by his rotation. Again, the advantage of the twinsaber's blades blocks this attack, forcing Mike to try something else.

"Who do you think will win?" Diego asks Lara, "They're almost equal in speed and strength."

"I don't know," Lara says, "Mike's Soaring Heaven style is pretty strong, yet he's got to deal with the twinsaber this time."

"I'm betting on Seifer," Amelia answers, "But it's going to be a good fight, either way."

Seifer once again charges his elder with a flurry of attacks, but an airborne strike from Mike knocks the youngster off balance. The elder HUmar continues the combination of strikes with a rising uppercut slice that knocks the youngster into the air himself. He descends on his feet, readying for another attack. Mike seemed to be faster than ever as he charged at Seifer. His next sword attack hit 9 places on the younger man's body in rapid succession, seemlingly at the same time. Seifer stumbled back, but regained his composure to attack Mike from the air. The slashing twinsaber knocked Mike backwards, into the wall.

"This kid's good," Mike thought to himself, "I've not been challenged like this in a long time." The blonde HUmar smiled

"He's better than I thought," Seifer considered, "Glad he's on our side." Seifer let a grin come to his face, readying his twinsaber for one more strike. He watched Mike put his katana back in the sheath and rest his hand on the hilt.

"This is it," Lara thinks out loud, "What do you think, Diego?"

"I don't know what to think," the ranger answers, "these two are faster than anyone else I've ever seen."

"Come on, Seifer," Amelia yells, "Get him!"

Seifer charged at Mike, who stood his ground. When the time was right, Mike drew the katana from its sheath, attacking with unfound speed. Seifer's twinsaber blocks the attack, but gets slung from the young man's hand, as Mike rotates around.

"What's happening," Seifer thinks, "I blocked the attack, but he's coming back around to hit me again. Wait..I'm advancing toward him. That attack must have displaced the air around where I blocked it. Now I'm being drawn in with the vacuum."

Sure enough, Seifer was being drawn in by an air vacuum, created when he blocked the initial strike of Mike's attack. The blonde haired HUmar rotated around, katana in hand, and struck again, nailing the youngest Angelus brother in the ribs. Seifer flew off to Mike's right, from the added force of the blow. Amelia's eyes widened as she saw the full-on power of her brother's final technique. She rushed over to Seifer and began to heal his wounds with her Resta tech.

"How did you do that," Seifer asked as Mike sheathed the katana, "What was that attack?"

"The final technique of the Soaring Heaven style," Mike answers, "The strike of the soaring dragon. The way Master Zoke explained it to me is 'Should one evade the fangs of the dragon by soaring high, he will be drawn in by the fierce winds, and shredded by the claws'. Hardly anyone's challenged me to the point that I had to use it, Seifer. You're the first in a long time."

At the front door of Angelus Manor, Willem stands face to face with a black and white colored RAcaseal. "I need help," she tells the butler, "I must find my master."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Amelia BlackHawk is still tending to Seifer Angelus' wounds when the door to the training room opens up. The butler, Willem walks through; followed by the RAcaseal he had just met at the door.

"Master Seifer, Master Diego," he begins, "We may have a problem."

"Shino," Mike BlackHawk says, recognizing the android, "What's wrong?"

"Master Zoke has disappeared," Shino answers, "I was doing some work in the back of the estate, and Master Zoke was in the meditation chamber. Next thing I know, I look in, and he's gone. He even took his 3 swords."

"If Master Zoke took the 3 legendary katanas," Mike thinks out loud, "Then that means he's gearing up for one hell of a battle. Amelia, you stay here. Lara, let's get back home. I'm going to help Shino, but I need my sword, and to get Maya."

"Mike, I'm coming with you, too," Lara tells her husband.

"No, honey," the HUmar responds, "Someone needs to stay with Jessica. Maya and I'll be just fine, and Shino can handle herself with a pair of mechs."

Zoke stood katana in hand. Not far from him was a white haired HUmar, carrying a DB's Saber, and a malevolent look in his eyes. "Shane Dansen," he begins, "It's time I dealt with you like I should have back when I banished you."

"How," the dark Hunter answers, "you're getting weaker by the minute. Notice how out of breath you are from traveling all the way down here?"

"I have all the strength I need to stop you from killing more innocents," Miyama tells his former student, "Are you ready for death, Dansen?"

"Shane Dansen is already dead," the former student responds.

"Soon, I'll be calling you a dead man!" Zoke yells as he charges at the younger warrior.

Mike had arrived home, and gotten his katana from his and Lara's bedroom, and gotten Maya to assist him in his quest. Shino waited at the door as the two arrived from upstairs. Maya handed Shino a pair of mechguns, before getting her Justy rifle from the gun safe. The three started out, finding a transporter to the ruins, where Mike took the point.

Having been down here a couple of times prior, Mike was curious about the lack of monsters running around. But he then realized that Zoke might have had to fight his way through, and decided to follow the trail of monster carnage, to get to his quarry. He kept one hand on the hilt of his katana, just in case.

"Do you really think you can beat me in your state," the dark warrior gloats, "You're more stubborn than I remember."

"We'll see about that," responds Zoke, whose last attack was easily blocked by his opponent's saber. He leaps high into the air, and dives toward his younger adversary. The younger fighter executes an uppercut slice, which successfully defends against Zoke's attack. Zoke lands on his feet and charges again.

Dansen easily reads Zoke's attack pattern and counters with another nonchalant slash of his own. This one makes contact with Zoke's arm, cutting a large gash into the sword master's limb. Zoke stumbles back, trying to regain his focus, and breathing heavily. "He's too strong," the sword master thinks, "But he must have some weakness."

After proceeding to the second level of the ruins, the party of hunters spotted something sticking out of the floor. Upon further examination, they discovered it was one of Zoke's swords. "It's the Sange," Mike thinks out loud, "How did Master Zoke lose this?" Mike picks up the sword and stores it on his back.

"He must have been fighting pretty hard to not notice that he dropped this," Shino answers. That said, the hunters continued their trek through the ruins.

Blood trickled down the back of Zoke's tunic from a cut in his back. He was breathing heavily, and hardly able to continue the fight. He gripped his katana close as he looked at his opponent, who had barely broken a sweat. "How is this possible," he thinks to himself, "How can one human be this strong? I'm fighting as hard as I possibly can, and he?s nowhere near needing a second wind."

He watched as the dark warrior disappeared from sight, and reappeared behind him. Zoke was barely able to turn around, before a sword came down upon his right shoulder, slicing through him. Blood spurted out of the massive wound, and the Great Sword, Zoke Miyama, fell.

Mike, Maya and Shino had been following their trail through the ruins. A few monsters attacked here and there, but Mike's mastery of the Soaring Heaven style made short work of these minute pockets of resistance. Standing in their current room, is another katana. Mike picks this one up. "The Yasha, too? Who in the world is Master Zoke fighting to have lost both of these swords?" the HUmar asks

"He must be powerful," Maya thinks out loud, "Zoke's usually very careful not to lose his weapons. I don't know what's going on."

"We have to hurry," Shino notes, "If Master Zoke's lost 2 katanas, which means that he's only got the Kamui, he may need our help."

"So," the dark warrior says, hovering over Zoke's body, "How does it feel to be bested by your former student? Looks like I'm the master now, Miyama. You know, I think I'll teach your PRIZE student who's the stronger next. What do you think? What? He'll wipe the floor with me? Oh, I doubt that." He kicks the lifeless form of the Great Sword. "No, Master", he continues, "I highly doubt he'll wipe the floor with me. Especially after I take your sword and use it to kill him." He then picks up the Kamui, and puts it in a sheath at his side.

Mike had led his team further into the ruins. This time, instead of finding another katana, they found the unconscious form of a blonde-haired RAmar. Mike picks the man up, and feeds a trimate to him. The man starts to stir and looks over at his rescuers. "You're Zoke's student, aren't you?"

"Yes," Mike answers, "I am. What's going on here?"

"I wish I knew. I was on a mission in here, and run into Zoke. We fight together to get here, mainly because there was an increased number of monsters in here, and next thing I know I'm flat of my face after a sword attack to my back. Zoke's in the next room, I think. I was hearing the sounds of a sword fight going on in there for a while. They quit about ten minutes ago."

"Oh no," Shino says, "Master."

"Pal, we'll have to leave you here," Mike tells the RAmar, "We've got to find Master Zoke."

"Go ahead," the Ranger responds as the three proceed through the door to the next chamber. Their next sight is that of a dark warrior, standing above the body of Zoke Miyama. Mike looks right at the man and thinks, "Could it be him? That can't be Dansen."

"You," the man said, "You saved me the trouble of hunting you down."

"Why did you do this, Dansen?" Shino asks, "Why did you kill Master Zoke?"

"Why?" the man answers, "Because, Shino, I could, and I wanted to, and because it felt good doing it."

"Monster," Mike thinks to himself, "You can't be Shane Dansen."

"Shane Dansen is dead," the man answers, "He ceased to exist long before today."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The party of hunters stood at the entrance to the long hallway, where Zoke lay, and the dark warrior stood over him.

"Maya," Mike begins, "Look out for Shino. I'll deal with my former training partner."

"Careful, Mike," Maya answers, "He knows almost all your techniques."

"Then I'll have to try something original," the HUmar replies, as he rests his hand on the katana's hilt.

"You really think you can beat me?" the white-haired hunter gloats, "I just killed your sword master. He taught you everything you know, and was infinately stronger than you. I was stronger than you way back when. What makes you think you can beat me now?"

"You never achieved mastery of our style," BlackHawk responds, "You lack the real power of the Soaring Heaven sword style, the desire to protect."

"You're spouting that same line of crap that Zoke tried to brainwash me with," the dark HUmar mutters, "When you realize the real truth. A sword is a deadly weapon. The art of the sword is the art of killing. No matter the words you use, nothing can replace that simple truth."

"We'll see about that," BlackHawk tells his former partner, "When I send you packing."

Maya keeps Shino back as she watches the two hunters stare each other down for another couple of minutes. Her optics show a change in the minute, as the two HUmars charge at each other, swords still in their sheathes. When the two are within range, they both draw their weapons, using their draw to parry each other's attack.

"You've gotten stronger," the black clad warrior says, "This should be fun."

"You'll never know the truth of the Soaring Heaven style," BlackHawk tells his opponent, "or the truth of Master Zoke's words."

"Your master died for that belief, BlackHawk," Dansen shouts, "Are you willing to die here, too?"

"I won't be dying today." That said, Mike watches as Dansen rushes at him, saber held ready for a horizontal stab. This sends Mike airborne. He dives at his opponent, bringing the sword down at an arc toward his foe's shoulder. Dansen executes an uppercut slash to parry the technique, and Mike lands off to the left. Dansen tries a lateral slash technique, but BlackHawk dodges this one, using the extreme speed that is essential to the Soaring Heaven style. The two run right at each other, and swords clash, sparks fly off both blades, as both warriors parry strike after strike.

"Maya," Shino says, "We've got to do something. If Dansen was able to kill Master Zoke, Mike won't stand a chance."

"Have faith in him," Maya tells her partner, "I've watched Mike face a lot worse than Dansen on other quests."

Elsewhere, in an alcove off the hallway, a black clad warrior with a tachi-lenght sword, accompanied by a shadowy magician, watch the battle. "What do you think," the warrior asks his partner, "Could he be the one?"

"Likely," the magician answers, "It's apparent that he has mastered Zoke's sword style.

But one thing worries me."

"And that is?"

"The dark aura I'm sensing from the other warrior. It's like he's got a part of a dark force inside him."

"We'll figure that out later," the warrior responds, "For now, watch the battle, and hope this young hunter can come out victorious."

Mike dodged one more slash from his opponent, rotating around for added force into his counter attack. His slash makes contact with the man's back, leaving an open gash, out from which blood poured. The dark warrior buckled under the attack, as Mike sheathed his katana. "Give up," the blonde hunter tells his foe.

"Never," the dark warrior answers, rushing headlong at Mike. An idea comes to the red-clad hunter's mind as he draws the Sange and Yasha from their sheathes on his back. He goes airborne one more time, extending the twin katanas out to his sides. BlackHawk goes into a spin, looking like a cyclone coming down upon his opponent.

"Then you've already lost," BlackHawk tells his opponent, "Try an original creation of mine." The first attack is blocked by Dansen's saber, but the second katana makes contact, putting out the dark warrior's right eye. The black clad warrior stumbles backwards again, and escapes in a swirl of black energy.

"He did it," Maya thinks out loud, "he beat Dansen."

The black clad warrior in the alcove turns to his friend, the magician, then disappears into the darkness of the ruins. The shadowy force then watches happenings in the hallway.

Shino runs up to Zoke's prone form. She kneels by the slain warrior, as Zoke begins to mumble something. Mike kneels down beside Shino, and listens to his words.

"Shi...no...?" he begins, "Shino, why are you here? I told you not to come. This planet is...critical to you. That's why I told you to stay on Pioneer 2. You idiot... Shino, I'm about to die. Give the people on Pioneer 2 my message. Leave here immediately. Right now. Listen, Shino. I appreciate the service you've provided for me over all the long years. You are free now. You can choose to find a new master or to live your own life now. Please do as you wish..."

Mike takes Zoke's hand, "Master, You know who it was, right?"

"Yes," Zoke answers weakly, "It was Dansen. I greatly regret ever training him. Mike, you're the master of the Soaring Heaven style now. Pass it on to a worthy pupil."

"I will, Master," Mike answers.

"Mike, thank you very much," Shino tells Mike, "I will stay here. 'Leave here immediately, Pioneer 2!' I don't know the basis for which he said his last words... But it must be important to Pioneer 2. But for me, it is much more important to be with my master, Zoke. Can you tell the Guild Zoke's message for me? Take this. It is Zoke's sword and it proves you completed this quest." She then turns back to Zoke's body, "Zoke, I shall always be at your side."

Elsewhere, the black-clad warrior stands among a great mound of monster corpses, Tachi in hand. "Young fool," he thinks out loud, "He'll be back, and hopefully, one of us will be ready."

Mike and Maya had taken a telepipe back to Pioneer 2, where Mike had separated from his RAcaseal friend. The ranger walked back home, where she told Lara the whole story.

Back in the ancient ruins, the shadowy force stood over Zoke's body, preparing candles and other such components, when the black-clad warrior arrived back at the hallway.

Shino continued to kneel by her fallen master, as he pushed his way to Zoke's side. "Do it," the warrior tells his magely friend.

"Ok," the force answers, "Malar Zhapaj." Energy surrounds Zoke's body, as he starts to come back, still greatly weak, and near death. The warrior leans down to listen to Zoke's words.

"it was him..my failure," Zoke tells the shadowy fighter.

"Failure?" answers the warrior,"Oh no, my old friend. There was no way you could know what path he would take."

"Still..I greatly regret training him in our ways."

"You had faith in him, we all did."

"He wasn't the one..I should have seen that from the start."

"What of your new pupil?" the warrior asks,"What will become of him now?"

"BlackHawk? yes he is the one, he has to be..the dragon."

"You seem certain."

"I am..You will watch him, won't you?"

"I shall, but I saw him fight. I feel that your words are true."

Zoke struggles to breathe as his strength leaves him. He reaches up to the dark clad warrior, who takes his dying friend's hand.

"If he is to be the dragon," Zoke continues, "you must finish the work I started."

"If he can learn what I shall show him," the warrior answers,"he truly will be."

"Good," Zoke says with his last breath, "Train him well..and find the other, if you can." With that, Zoke Miyama, one of the greatest warriors on Pioneer 2, gives up the ghost and passes on.

The cloaked man turned to his partner, a tear falling down his face. "Take the android back with you, I have something to take care of." That said, Shino and the magician disappear through a telepipe, and the shadowy warrior leaves through one of his own.

**Epilogue **

Mike BlackHawk sits at the man-made waterfall in the park. Many thoughts run through his mind as he sits there. He remembers the words that his master told him.

"I thought I'd find you here," comes a voice from behind the hunter. Mike turns around to find his wife standing there, holding their daughter in her arms. "Do you want to tell me about it?" she asks.

"Not much to tell," Mike answers, "My former training partner just killed Master Zoke. What came of him, I guess I'll never know." Lara looks at her husband, as he throws a stone into the pool. "I still remember what he told me, the moment I became his student," Mike thinks out loud, "Some may say that the truth behind our art is that we are training to kill. I never felt that way. I always felt that it is the duty of the strong to protect the weak. Not to prey on them. In a lot of ways, Lara, Master Zoke was the only father I really knew. I was eight years old when Dad and Mom left with Darias on Pioneer 1."

"Now, you have another family to think about, honey," Lara tells him, handing Jessica over to him. He cradles the child in his arms, as she smiles up at him.

"So this is where you come to think," comes a deep voice behind the family, "Mike BlackHawk, I have something that Zoke Miyama wanted you to have." Mike stands up, and turns around, seeing a warrior standing before him. The man is dressed in all black and carrying a tachi-length sword, similar to his katana. In the man's hand is a mantle. it's black in color, and has red on the collar. "This mantle," explains the warrior, "Signifies the master of the Soaring Heaven style. It is passed on from teacher to student, when the student passes the final trial. Yours is still yet to come, but Zoke wanted me to give this to you." He puts the mantle over Mike's shoulders. "Now, your final test will come soon," the strange black-clad warrior says, "I can train you to be ready for it. Do you wish to finish your training?"

"I do, sir," Mike BlackHawk answers, "But I also have a family to look after. They have to come first."

"Then I will see you in your training facility when the time is right," the man replies, "Be ready." That said, the mysterious warrior walks off from the BlackHawks, leaving a lot of questions raised.


End file.
